1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to polymers containing amide linkages and to a process for preparing such polymers. More specifically this invention relates to the preparation of non-wholly aromatic polyamides in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide) matrix by the condensation polymerization of a dicarboxylic acid diamide derivatives of terephthalic acid and a diamine. In part, the invention relates to the preparation of nylon-3/X copolymers of increased molecular weight.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nylon is a generic term applied to synthetic polyamides that have fiber, film or plastic-forming properties. All nylons have in their polymer chain the amide group: ##STR1## which is the link that joins the repeating hydrocarbon units of various lengths. Polyamides are generally formed by condensation polymerization or by addition polymerization. The parameters for these processes as well as the specific monomers suitable for polyamide formation are known to those skilled in the art.
In part the present invention pertains to nylon-3/X polymers which contain nylon-3 units. This form of shorthand is used to identify the number of carbon atoms in the respective monomers which make up the polyamide. Nylon-3 is a polyamide comprised of monomers with 3 carbons. Nylon 3/X is a copolyamide which contains groups of 3 carbons along with any nylon fragment of the general formula: ##STR2## or ##STR3## where R", R'" and R.sup.IV are any aliphatic, alicyclic, or aromatic carbon group.
It is known that nylon-3 can be prepared from various monomers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,524 describes a process where nylon-3 is prepared from the ammonium salts of alpha,beta-unsaturated monocarboxylic acids. U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,643 teaches that nylon-3 can be prepared by the thermal condensation of beta-amino propionic acid. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,629,203 and 3,499,879 relate to the preparation of nylon-3 by the condensation reaction of acrylonitrile. U.S. Pat. No. 2,749,331 teaches that nylon-3 can be prepared from acrylamide. However, nylon-3 polymers and copolymers produced by these processes are generally characterized by very low molecular weight.
In part the instant invention pertains to the production of polyamides in the presence of a polymer matrix. A matrix is a high molecular weight polymer which acts as a site for polymerization by increasing the local concentration of the reactants. Wholly aromatic polyamides have been prepared using triphenyl phosphite in the presence of a poly(4-vinylpyridine) matrix or a poly(ethylene oxide) matrix, Higashi et al., Journal of Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry Edition, Volume 18, pages 851-856, 1099-1104, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1980.
An object of the instant invention is to extend the concept of matrix polymerization to systems which are not wholly aromatic. It is a further object of the present invention to produce nylon-3/X copolymers of increased molecular weight.